Garment hanger and display structure



Nov. 10, 1959 R. LAwNHuRsT 2,912,148'

GARMENT HANGER AND DISPLAY STRUCTURE Filed 001'.. 24, 1956 United States Patent 2,912,148 GARMENT HANGER AND DISPLAY STRUCTURE Richard Lawnhurst, Roslyn Heights, N.Y.

Application October 24, 1956, Serial N0. 618,040

4 Claims. (Cl. 223-877) This invention relates to garment hanger structures andl more particularly to a combination garment hanger and display structure in particular for use in connection with packaging and displaying infants and childrens wearing apparel.

lt is one of the primary objects of the invention to provide means facilitating the manufacture of a garment suspension and display device through mass production methods from a piece of ilat stock material and preferably in a single die-stamping operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide means rendering the possibility of changing an ordinary at garment hanger device to a garment display device substantially without changing the outer appearance of the hanger device and the cost of production of the latter.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide means contributing to an efficacious construction of a device of the aforesaid type which has great salesV appeal and may be readily used for packing, shipping, hanging and displaying a garment, whether the latter is placed in a carton or suspended from a rod or a rack.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means conducive to an inexpensive garment hanger and display device which may be used several times or may be discarded after a single use, said device being preferably made from cardboard, pastboard and like ilat stock material or even from plastic or plastic composition.

It is still another object of the invention to provide means redounding to a lightweight, but sturdy combination hanger and display device which may be readily and efliciently converted from a hanger to a display device and vice versa, whereby a garment may at least partly be exposed to view in the position of wear, when the display device becomes elfective.

These and other objects of theV invention will become `further apparent from the following detailed description,

reference being made to the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figs. 1 and 1a show complementary half portions of a garment hanger and display device according to the invention with a garment applied thereto and outlined in dot and dash lines;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end part of the device, as seen in Fig. 1 in semi-operative position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 with said one end part in operative and locked position;

Fig. 4 is a section View taken along lines 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows the end part, as seen in Fig. 1a, of the hanger and display device accordingvto the invention, in modified form and in inoperative position;

Fig. 6 issan enlarged sectional view taken along lines 6 6 of Fig. 5 with parts shown in operative position indicated in dot and dash lines.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there f. IC

A garment G has been draped over both half portions 10, 11 of the respective garment hanger and display device, seen in Figs. 1 and 1a.

The half portion 10 as well as the half portionll show a respective oval-shaped portion 12 and 13, each provided with anvopening and a respective central wall portion 14 and 15 for a purpose later to be described.

From the portions 12 and V13 extend respectively the arms 16, 17 adapted to engage the shoulders 16a and 17a,- respectively, of the garment G which terminates in re-` spective sleeves 18 vand 19.

The body 20 of the garment G is provided with a front panel 21 and a rear panel (not shown) which are draped over the respective central portions 14 and 15, as seen. The central portions 14 and 15 are provided with a hori zontal slot 22, 23 as shown, the slot terminating short of the respective end edges 22a and 23a vof the'central portions 14 and 15, respectively.

Slot 22 and slot 23 are, respectively, employed to receive a sheet of tissue paper or like decorative material 24, which may have any shape, color and texture and serves the purpose ofextending between the inner face of the front panel and the inner face of the rear panel of the garment G so that the garment, vwhen made from sheer material, more effectively displays ornaments and like decorations appearing on said material which come more distinctly tovview, when the garment is suspended,l from the device.

The respective portion 12 or 13 withmedian opening forms a gripping means for facilitating carrying of the garment hanger and may be provided with an upwardly extended Vliat hook member 25, so that the respective garment and display device may be also suspended from any rod or like support. Y

As will be further visualized from Fig. yl, arm 16 is provided with an enlarged end part 26,whereas arm 17 ofFig. 1a is provided with an enlarged end part .27, end part 26 being defined by two scored hinge linesor creases 26a, 2Gb, whereas end part 27 terminates in a single hinge line 27a, as indicated.

lt maybe readily recognized from the dotted line 28, of Fig. 1 that the end part 26 may be irst swung about the hinge line 26a and then about hinge line 26b, as hereinafter explained, to a position at substantially right angles to the arm 16 (see also Fig. 2). Likewise, enlarged end part 27 may be swung about hinge line 27a to a position indicated in dot and dash line at 29, when the garment hanger is to be used as a display device.

It will be observed from Fig. 1 that the enlarged part 26 is cut along wavy cut-lines Stl and 31 so that a larger outer iiap 32 is formed next to the smaller inner aps 33 and 34, whereby these flaps may be employed in the position 28 of end part 26 for the purpose of stretching and draping the upper sleeve portions of the garment G near the shoulder thereof. VThus a puffed sleeve portion as indicated atv 35 is created, which contributes to 'increased sales appeal.- I

The enlarged part 27 of hanger portion 11 consists of a larger outer flap or boss 36 and somewhat smaller inner aps or bosses 37 and 33 obtained through cuts or slits 39 and 40 defining arm 17 proper as more clearly seen in Fig. la. Y .Y

While the large part 27 may be swung about its hinge 27a from an inoperative position to an operative position indicated by dot and dash lines 29, the enlarged part 26 may not only be swung about its hinge line 26a, but alsol about the adjacent hinge line 261), whereby flap 32 with Y 3 itsinner flap parts 33 and 34 may assume a position at right angles to arm 16,so that vbosses 41 and 42, respectively, come to engage corresponding recesses 41a and 42a of arm 16, whereby part 26 will be locked in saidV position, as more clearlyindicated in Figs. 3 and 4. -End part '26is thus releasa'blysecured in its operative position and `extends-at right v-angles-to "arm 16 to drapethe garment sleeve over part 26 and to `cause a puffed sleeve appearance.

Fig. shows aegarment hanger'and 'display vdevice 5.!) havlng-thearm 51, the enlarged end part 52, having the outer ap 53Vand the inwardly extendingaps 54 and 55. In thisv particular instance, the garment hanger S0 is made from flat plastic material and enlarged end part 52 is also made from the same plastic materialhavingthe tits or proyections V'S6 and `57,which iit into corresponding recesses'56a'and 57a, provided in and near the end of arm 51. Adjacent the `end of arm 51, there isfurther provldedaboss 58 having a recess v59. Thisboss may be integral with arm 51 and serves the purpose of permltting engagement kof edge 60 of enlarged end part 52, when thesame is swung from its aligned position with arm 51 to an angular position 52a about hinges S6-56a and 57-57a and in the direction of arrow A, whereby edge 60 comes to engage recess 59 as indicated in dot and'dash lines in Fig. 6. Thus part 52 extends at right angles to arm 51 as seen in Fig. 6.

-Numeral 35u-indicates the position of the upper garment sleeve'part in its draped'and puffed condition over the end part 52, swung into position 52a.

From the aforesaid disclosure it is readily apparent that the garment hanger and display device is made of a `single piece of lightweight material such as cardboard or similar flat stock material obtained in a single die stampingoperation. As such the'hanger may be readily shipped either with 'a garment on or without garment in flat condition and may be erected for display purposes as hereinabove disclosed.

It -can thus be seen that there has been provided in accordance with the present invention a hanger and display device for a garment, the latter having inner front and back panels, shoulders Vand arm sleeves depending from said shoulders, which device is characterized by a 'substantiallylat body havinga central portion for engagingsaid innerfrontand back panels, two elongated arrnportions substantially aligned to each other and connected to said central portion, respectively, for engagingthe'shoulders of -sad garment, each armportion being dened by upper and lower end edges, an enlarged end part 'hingedto each armportion for swinging about an axis extending from -the respective upper to the lower end edge -of'each arm portionthereacross, said enlarged end parts projecting beyond said upper `and lower end edges of said arm portions `and being adapted to engage the 'garment shoulders located immediately above said arm sleeves, said enlarged end parts swung about the respective axes to assume a position angular with respectto said arm portions for facilitating draping said shoulder and said sleeves relative to the remainder of said garmentplaced on said central portion of said dat body, and respective means on said arm portions and on said enlarged end parts for locking the latter in said angular position and for release therefrom.

The invention Afurthercontemplates to couple ordinary garment 'hangers with the hanger as disclosed hereinabove, whereby the straight ends of the hanger arms of conventional Vhangers may be engaged with the inner edges of inner flaps 37, 38 or 33, 34, in Which case the hook of the hanger device according to the the invention may be 'completely dispensed with.

It is well understood that slot 22 or 23, as Vshown in Figs. 1 and la may be replaced by a line slit or cut-line so that tissue paper and like material may be forced into the slit'andretained therein or staples may be employed to aiix such material to the 'respective central part 14 or 15, which material may have also sufficient body to keep the garment G in shape or that it causes flaring of the garment outwardly below and beyond said central part for display purposes.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the distance from edge 60 to the outermost edge of ap 53 may be approximately equal to the distance between the outermost edge of the inner ap 54 and/or 55 and edge 60. It is well evident that the same distance may prevail in the other modificationsseen in Figs. v1 and 1a, so that, for example, the distance between the outermost edge of ap 36 and score or fold line 27a will be equal to the distance between Vsaid foldline 27a and therespective outermost edges of inner aps 37 and 38.

Various changes and modilica'tions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that such obvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

YHaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to fbe` secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A hanger and display device for a garment having shoulders and arm sleeves comprising a body of onepiece dat, foldable cardboard material having a central still portion for engaging the back and front of said garment, and two elongated stiff arm portions extending from said central portion, respectively, for engaging the shoulders of said garment, .each arm portion being defined by upper and lower edges and .being provided with an enlarged end part disposed for movement about at least one crease forming an axis extending substantially in a transverse direction to said arm portions, each of said enlarged vend parts including an outermost enlarged end-flap and two enlarged upper and lowerapsxextending .from said outermost end ap inwardly toward said central Vportion and :above and below said upper and lower edges of said arm portions,said .enlarged end parts adapted'to engage the Vgarment shoulders located immediately above said arm sleeves of said garment, said enlargedend parts when moved about the respective axes extending angularly to said ,arm portions and draping said shoulder-sand :said sleeve relative to the remainder of said garment when the latter is placed on'said body.

2. A hanger .and display device for a .garment having inner front and back panels, .shoulders and arm sleeves comprising a one-piece fiat body having a .central portion for engaging said inner front and back panels of said garment, two elongated arm portions .substantially aligned to each other and integrally connected to vsaid central portion, respectively, for engaging the shoulders of-said garment, each .arm portion being definedby upper and lower edges, and an enlarged end part ,disposed for swinging movement about an axis extending from the respective upper to the lower edge of each arm portion, said enlarged end parts projecting outwardly from said arm-portions and including an enlargement extending at least above said upper edges of .said arm portions for engaging the garment shoulders located immediately above said arm sleeves, said enlarged end parts when moved about the respective axes, extending angularly to said arm portions for draping said shouldersand said .sleeves relative to the remainder of said garment when the latter is placed on said llat body, said central .portion of said at body being provided with a centrally located opening defining gripping means for carrying said body.

3. A hanger and display device for a garment having inner front and back panels, shoulders andarm sleeves comprising a substantially ilat body having a central portion for engaging said inner front and back panels, two elongated downwardly directed arm portions connected to said central portion, respectively, for engaging the shoulders of said garment,'each arm portion being deiined by upper and lower edges, lan 4enlarged end part provided with hinge'means swingably connecting each end part to the respective arm portion about at least oneaxis extending from the respective upper to the lower edge of each arm portion, said enlarged end parts having bosses projecting above and below said upper and lower edges of said arm portions and outwardly therebeyond for engaging the garment shoulders located immediately above said arm sleeves, said enlarged end parts being swingable about the respective axes to assume a position angular with respect to said arm portions for facilitating draping said shoulders and said sleeves relative to the remainder of said garment when placed on said body, and respective means integral with said arm portions and said enlarged end parts for retaining the latter in said angular position and for release therefrom.

4. A hanger and display device for a garment having front and rear panels, shoulders and arm sleeves comprising a at hanger body having a central portion for engaging said front and said rear panels, two elongated arms extending at an angle to said central portion, respectively, integral with said central portion, for engaging the shoulders of said garment, each arm being defined by upper and lower edges, hinge means integral with said arms, respectively, U-shaped end flaps integrally connected through said hinge means to said arms, respectively, whereby said aps may be swung into a position extending at substantially right angles to said arms, said U-shaped end aps each including two inner flap portions and an outer flap portion, the distance between said hinge means and the outermost end of said outer flap portion being substantially equal to the distance from said hinge means y References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,184,743 Griths May 30, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS 543,913 Germany Feb. 11, 1932 

